Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security has concluded investigations into a gang that robbed an estimated 1000 taels of gold, proposing charges of murder, robbery, and illegal storage of military weapons against the accused.

Colonel Nguyen Tri Phuong, deputy head of the ministry's Criminal Police Department, said Thursday that the ministry has transferred the case of the seven-member gang to prosecutors.

The gang, led by 48-year-old Le Vanh Kiet from the Mekong Delta's Long An Province, had conducted eight armed robberies in Ho Chi Minh City and four nearby provinces of Vinh Long, Tay Ninh, Long An and Dong Nai over 10 years.

They were arrested last October after their last robbery attempt in HCMC. Their previous robbery in the city killed the gold shop owner and injured several people.

Two members of the gang have already died of heroin shock, leaving five others facing the charges. Apart from Kiet, the gang members are: Huynh Van Tiem, 53, Phan Van Tuong, 39, Nguyen Van Nhan, 55, all from Tay Ninh, and Dang Van Phuoc, 61, from An Giang.

Phuong said the gang was well-organized. After each robbery, the gold was shared quickly and each member went his own way.

They only met again for the next robbery after spending their loot, thus it was hard to track them down, he said.